When Hitoshi Yamasaki of Mitsubishi applied to the HBS Executive Education Advanced Management Program (AMP) in 2020, he already knew something about the learning experience at HBS. Several years earlier, he had attended the General Management Program (GMP) and had a great experience. But while GMP took place on campus, AMP was presented virtually due to the pandemic. Below, he shares his perspective on each type of program.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND ROLE AT MITSUBISHI?
I have 30 years of business experience, mostly in the energy sector. My background is mainly in sales & marketing and general management. Currently I am part of the Group CEO Office of the Petroleum & Chemicals Solution Group. This division focuses on securing stable supplies of energy and chemical materials for the world. The Group CEO Office performs several functions for the group and its CEO, including human resources, internal audit, corporate governance, new business development, and investments and credit control. I am now responsible for digital strategy and new business development and part of a general management team.
WERE YOU HESITANT TO ATTEND THE ADVANCED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN VIRTUAL FORMAT?
It's a big decision to attend one of these leadership programs, whether it is in person or virtual. But I believe that if it is the right time in your career, you should do what I did and go for it, whatever the format. It takes a certain amount of courage to make that leap. I am proud that I did it and I feel very grateful that I had the opportunity to attend not only one, but two of these HBS Executive Education programs.
A comparison of program formats is not really the point—either format is great, so if you have a chance to attend, do it. The AMP program offered in the hybrid format seems to offer the best of both worlds, but I would advise people just to take the program that is right for them, whenever they can, in whatever format they can.
WHAT WERE THE ADVANTAGES OF A VIRTUAL PROGRAM?
The biggest advantage was time flexibility. Virtual programs open the door for people who might not be able to be away from work or home for two months. While executives in Asia might be concerned about how they will manage the time difference with Boston, it can actually be an advantage if you have sufficient accommodations. In my case, I stayed in a hotel not far from my residence, so I could adapt to the HBS schedule without disturbing others. With virtual technology, I could go back and forth between my business and my learning experience every day. Thanks to that flexibility, I could think more deeply and actively about what a given case meant for my organization and me. At the same time, a virtual program offers the benefit of day-to-day support from family and colleagues.
DID YOU MISS THE PERSONAL INTERACTIONS OF AN IN-PERSON PROGRAM?
Yes, of course. The biggest advantage to an in-person program is the opportunity for very close, deep discussions outside the classroom with your learning group and the rest of the cohort. During the virtual programs, though, you still have a small learning group and the discussions within that group are extremely valuable.
What people may not realize is that in-person interactions are valuable not only during the program but long after the program ends. The missing piece for me has been the opportunity for all of us to get together. I have found it difficult to keep up the motivation for AMP networking without any in-person events. But that has nothing to do with the program format—it's a consequence of the pandemic.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EXECUTIVES PLANNING TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS?
First, be sure to read all of the cases before the program starts—and review before each class, especially for participants whose mother language is not English. Second, you should be constantly applying the learning. Each day, think about what a given case or principle or framework means to you and your business. Finally, and most importantly, take advantage of the opportunity to talk to others in your cohort, and especially talk with the people in your learning group. I am a typical "shy" Japanese and not so active in entire cohort community, however those discussions are such a big part of the learning.
